Autism Studies and Related Medical Conditions, January 2009 - TACA

antagonist, naltrexone (NAL). Twelve autistic patients ranging from7 to 15 years,
diagnosed according to DSM-III-R, entered a double-blind crossover study with NAL at
the doses of 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 mg/kg every 48 hours. The behavioural evaluation was
conducted using the specific BSE and CARS rating scales NAL treatment produced a
significant reduction of the autistic symptomatology in seven ("responders") out of 12
children. The behavioural improvement was accompanied by alterations in the
distribution of the major lymphocyte subsets, with a significant increase of the T-helperinducers
(CD4+CD8-) and a significant reduction of the T-cytotoxic-suppressor (CD4-
CD8+) resulting in a normalization of the CD4/CD8 ratio. Changes in natural killer cells
and activity were inversely related to plasma beta-endorphin levels. It is suggested that
the mechanisms underlying opioid-immune interactions are altered in this population of
autistic children and that an immunological screening may have prognostic value for the
pharmacological therapy with opiate antagonists.
Hadjivassiliou M, Gibson A, Davies-Jones GA , Lobo AJ, Stephenson TJ,
Milford-Ward A: Does cryptic gluten sensitivity play a part in neurological illness?
Lancet 1996 Feb 10;347(8998):369-71.
Abstract:Department of Neurology, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield, UK.
BACKGROUND: Antigliadin antibodies are a marker of untreated coeliac disease but can
also be found in individuals with normal small-bowel mucosa. Because neurological
dysfunction is a known complication of coeliac disease we have investigated the
frequency of antigliadin antibodies, as a measure of cryptic gluten sensitivity, and
coeliac disease in neurological patients. METHODS: Using ELISA, we estimated serum
IgG and IgA antigliadin antibodies in 147 neurological patients who were divided into
two groups. There were 53 patients with neurological dysfunction of unknown cause
despite full investigation (25 ataxia, 20 peripheral neuropathy, 5 mononeuritis multiplex,
4 myopathy, 3 motor neuropathy, 2 myelopathy). The remaining 94 patients were
found to have a specific neurological diagnosis (16 stroke, 12 multiple sclerosis, 10
Parkinson's disease, 56 other diagnoses) and formed the neurological control group. 50
healthy blood donors formed a third group. FINDINGS: The proportions of individuals
with positive titres for antigliadin antibodies in the three groups were 30/53, 5/94, and
6/50 respectively (57, 5, and 12%). The difference in proportion between group 1 and
the combined control groups was 0.49 (95% CI 0.35-0.63). Distal duodenal biopsies in
26 out of 30 antigliadin-positive patients from group 1 revealed histological evidence of
coeliac disease in nine (35%), non-specific duodenitis in ten (38%), and no lesion in
seven (26%) individuals. INTERPRETATION: Our data suggest that gluten sensitivity is
common in patients with neurological disease of unknown cause and may have
aetiological significance.
D'Eufemia P., Celli M., Finocchiaro R., Pacifico L., Viozzi L., Zaccagnini M.,
Cardi E., Giardini O: Abnormal Intestinal Permeability in Children with Autism. Acta
Paediatrica,1996; 85: 1076-1079.
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